Quarter Quell: The 25th Hunger Games
by That Pesky Nargle
Summary: What will happen when the President declares that all of the tributes will have to be 12 years old for the first Quell? Will the tributes react differently than if they were all ages from 12 to 18?
1. District 1 Reapings

District 1 Reapings

"Good morning, people of District 1!" said the woman with a shade of orchid skin so bright that she looked like the flower itself. "My name is Nica! Your last District Escort retired last year, and now you lucky kiddies get silly ole me!" Nica's darker violet hair bounced and bobbled when she spoke so enthusiastically.

When the crowd's reaction wasn't nearly as jubilant as her attitude, Nica sighed and pulled a slip of folded paper from the girls' bowl. She regained her cheer, and smiled.

"Cissa Mandella! Cissa! Cissa, where are you? Come on up!" A tall, slim girl with a wavy, brown bob walked to the center of the crowd where Nica stood, her eyes shining. Cissa's brown eyes were also shining. Shining with tears, threatening to spill. Nica patted Cissa on the back when she reached the middle, but Cissa pulled away, irked.

"Are there any volunteers for Miss Mandella?" Nica paused, waiting for the volunteer that would come take her place. After a minute of waiting, in which Cissa had started silently crying, nobody came. "That's rather unusual! You are District 1! Really? No volunteers? Okay. It's okay Cissa darling. You'll do great!" Cissa stepped away from Nica, glared, and let out a big sob.

She didn't want to compete in the games! Why did she have to? It was so unfair! There weren't as many slips of paper this year, and hardly any tessarae! It wasn't Cissa's fault or choice! She shouldn't have to go through the torture of the Games.

"Okay then! Let's have our little boy come up now!" Nica bubbled. She was spilling her overly vibrant personality all over the center square. She rummaged her hand around in the second bowl, seeming to be searching for a certain piece of paper. When she finally pulled one out, she read the name, and started giggling. "Axel! Axel Krimson!"

The boy who reluctantly walked up indeed had crimson hair. He looked from side to side at a couple of blond boys standing near him. He whispered something to them, and they both nodded. Axel walked to the center square, and took his place next to the still-sobbing Cissa. His face was calm enough, but he obviously didn't want to be one of two standing in the town center with Nica.

"Any volunteers for this strapping young man, Axel Krimson? No? Hmm." Nica seemed troubled that there were no volunteers for either child. "Well, then. May the odds be _ever_ in your favor!"

After the Reapings- Cissa

In a smallish room in the Justice Building of 1, Cissa slouched against the wall. She was still sobbing. She wanted anything but the Games. She didn't want anyone to see her before she left. It didn't matter. But she knew her father would have to come.

After her mother died when she was ten, Cissa's father did everything he could to help Cissa out. He bought her everything. He completely spoiled her. It hadn't really helped her much, though. She hadn't wanted to be reminded constantly of her mom.

Mr. Mandella tried to keep up with Cissa's schoolwork and friends all the time as her mother had. This didn't really have the effect he had wanted. Cissa became very aggravated by him. He was always there. He practically followed her around! And she tried to ignore her annoyance, but it was just so hard with him always butting in.

When he finally did come in, his face was solemn.

"Hello Cissa." After that, there was hardly any conversation between them, because he couldn't talk through his tears, and she didn't make any attempt of conversation.

After a little while longer, to Cissa's surprise, Henna Cress walked in.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you… in school. I really shouldn't have. We've been best friends for… forever. Will you forgive me?" Cissa's best friend came to see her. She was the popular girl who had tons of friends. She was the one who ditched Cissa for her more popular friends.

But they had been best friends forever. Or Henna had always been Cissa's best friend, although if you put it the other way around, it might've been questionable.

"Sure," Cissa shrugged and looked away. She figured this girl just didn't want to be remembered by someone as a not-so-loyal friend. It didn't really matter to either of them, but Henna had just thought she should go.

"Bye Cissa." And with that, Henna was as present as she ever was to Cissa. Gone.

At the end of the time, Mr. Mandella had to leave, still crying his eyes dry of tears. Cissa hadn't really wanted anyone to come, but she also hadn't wanted to be chosen for the Games. Simply put, she doesn't always get what she wants.

After the Reapings- Axel

"Axel," he heard her stern voice say. "Axel, you need to win. But you also need to know how to win. Listen up to your mentors, make a couple friends in training. Be nice in your interviews. Whatever it takes. Remember everything I taught you…" Axel's aunt ranted on and on about how he would be able to win the Games.

He stopped listening, and just nodded every few seconds, staring into her fierce green eyes all the time. She didn't come out of her ranting state until three of Axel's best friends walked into the little room.

Mac, Scar, and Dom all stood awkwardly in the doorway until she noticed them and let them speak.

"Goodbye Axel. If you listened to what I've been telling you your whole life, I will see you in a little while." And with that, Axel's bossy aunt turned ad briskly walked from the room.

"Hey guys," Axel said softly. "I'm gonna have lots of fun in the arena aren't I?" He was joking, of course, but he did this mostly to hold himself together. He hadn't really wanted to be in the Games at any time in his life, but he had thought before it would be neat to win.

"Guess we'll see ya on the screen then," Dom said. "Good luck buddy." Axel smiled at the leader of his small gang. Dom had always been the decision maker of most things they all did together. He was a year older, so he thought he had the right, but Axel, Scar, and Mac didn't mind.

"Bye Axel! We'll miss you Mr. Glue," Mac said, using one of their nicknames for Axel. He was the one who held the group together. With his constant joking around and such.

After a couple more goodbyes, Axel's buddies left. He walked to the window and looked out over 1. He saw his uncle trying to make his way to the doors on the Justice Building. Most likely to say goodbye or something. Just then, a Peacekeeper knocked and told Axel it was time to leave. He could still see his uncle down there, still pushing through the crowd.

Axel knocked loudly on the glass. It was his last hope of saying goodbye to his uncle. His protector.

He didn't notice a thing. And Axel was being pulled out of the room. He wouldn't get to see his uncle again.


	2. District 2 Reapings

District 2 Reapings

It was the day of the Reapings, and everyone in District 2 was getting excited. They were all getting dressed up in their finest clothes for when they would be seen on television all over Panem. Some of the parents of the twelve-year-old children were wearing very worried expressions, worried that their child would be reaped.

Other parents were relaxed, looking confident that others would volunteer if their child was chosen. Still others, but very few, were urging their son or sometimes daughter to volunteer in the Games. Most of the kids were looking hesitant. Quite a few wanted to volunteer, but they had very little training, and their chances would be slimmer than if they were older with more years of experience.

When it was time for the Reaping, the children lined up like they were told before the day. The two glass bowls were brought out by a man with mousy brown hair. He was shockingly normal for a citizen of the Capitol. The only oddity he sported was a pair of glowing green eyes. And glowing was indeed the right word. They looked like two green traffic lights.

The man smiled a reassuring smile in the direction of the kids, and tried getting the crowd excited. When everyone was shouting and cheering, he grabbed a microphone, and addressed the children.

"As you know, it's a great honor to be chosen for the games, and each of you has a greater chance of becoming this year's tribute for the Games. With only one age group, there are a smaller amount of slips in here." He shook the glass bowls. "Now, should we start with the ladies?" The tension was building. All of the kids were looking at the glass orb with dread, hoping that they wouldn't be the one Reaped. The man stretched his hand out dramatically for suspense, and reached into the bowl. He picked the first slip he touched, and snapped his hand back out of the bowl.

When he opened the small note, his right eyebrow shot up. He mumbled something under his breath, and looked back up at the crowd.

"Princess Belle?" There was a soft murmur throughout the crowd. In the section of children, there was a fluttering of eyelids, and the girl, Princess, fainted.

Some of the girls tried to catch her, but their hearts weren't really in it, and she ended up falling in a small patch of mud. Some of the guys snickered, but most were just solemn because they knew who was going to leave. And hopefully (for them) never come back.

Someone in the crowd was calling out for somebody near Princess to wake her up. One of the girls nudged Princess' head with her foot, and when that didn't work, the boy next to her full-on kicked her in the side. Princess fluttered and opened her clear cerulean blue eyes. She started breathing rapidly as she looked from side to side at her classmates. Her arm extended up toward the circle of faces, waiting to be grabbed and helped up.

"Somebody help me up! Now!" Nobody did. Princess looked around desperately, and she decided that nobody was going to help her up. "Please?" she asked, reluctantly.

"That's a first," a guy next to her muttered as he helped her up. Her blue gown had mud all down the back, and as she made her way up to the stage, clumps of grass and dirt shook themselves out of her light golden curls, and her silver tiara was tilted sideways.

When she reached the stage, she huffed and pouted, causing the man with glowing green eyes to raise both his furry black eyebrows at her. Princess grabbed the microphone out of his hand, and practically yelled into it.

"Will someone volunteer? I'm your Mayor's daughter. I'm sure that your family would be greatly honored if you volunteered for me," she sneered, addressing her classmates. "I do NOT want to have to compete in some STUPID GAME against other snotty, smelly slimy kids! I'LL get slimy and smelly! My NAILS will get slimy and smelly! Just volunteer already!" She was practically blowing the speakers, and everyone was looking at her with shock. The man finally pulled himself together, and managed to take the microphone back from the raging girl.

"Onto the boys…" he said right before an irked shriek from Princess. The man with the glowing eyes swiftly pulled out another slip of paper from the other bowl, and unfolded it.

"Russell Tsarev? Come on up Russell!" A tallish, muscular boy with a scruff of black hair quietly made his way through the group of his friends, who were whimpering for him to stay with them, and up to the stage. His eyes, almost as bright and green as the other man's, darted around worriedly.

"You're all dressed up, nice and sharp there aren't you Russell?" Russell just looked down at his black suit with his red tie, shrugged, and nodded. "Any volunteers for Russell? No? Now let's all have a round of applause for Princess and Russell! And may the odds be _ever _in your favor!" he finished with the Capitol custom.

After the Reapings- Princess

Princess sat in the room, awaiting her family. She wanted them to come and say goodbye to her. Maybe they'd be able to give her some weapons or something that she'd be able to sneak into the Arena._ They'd better_, she thought with malice.

Right on cue, she heard the door open, and she stared as her mother, father, brother and sister walked in. Mr. Belle, the mayor sat in a chair next to Princess, and spoke.

"I'm sorry that you don't want to play the Games. But think! It will be a great opportunity! When you win, you'll be famous! We'll be rich! I'm sure you'll win. How would anyone want to kill a sweet girl like you with your face?"

His monologue didn't help much. Princess just went into another rampage on how she knew she would win, but she also knew she'd get dirty, muddy, slimy, and smelly.

"I'm sorry sweety. There's nothing daddy can do about it! He may be the mayor, but he isn't superman," Mrs. Belle said, trying to calm her daughter down. She sighed dramatically, and sunk lower in her chair, pouting.

"Bye Princess! We're so happy for you!" Princess' younger sister, Luster, said jubilantly, a huge mocking smile on her face. When Princess just glared daggers and rolled her eyes, Blade, the twin brother of Luster, thought he'd help out.

"Can I have your room when you're gone, Princess? Mine is so much smaller than yours. And you won't need a bed to sleep in the Arena!"

"And can I have all of your stuff? There's so much of it!" Luster chimed in. Mrs. Belle frowned disapprovingly at the twins, and they skipped out of the room, smiles on their relieved faces.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do great, love. Remember! Smile for the cameras! Earn lots of sponsors!" And with that, Princess' parents were gone. She sighed heavily, and fingered her gold diamond necklace, a nervous habit she'd developed.

After the Reapings-Russell

"Russell!" Queen Tsarev cried as she ran into the room, trailed by his older sister, Belle. "I'm sorry that you have to compete. But you'll do fine, I know it. Just… make a strong alliance, with the Careers maybe. And, um, play sweet. Let Panem know how nice you are. Everyone will love you. I love you…" Russell's mother trailed off.

Although she was trying to give him tips and hold a brave composure, Russell could tell she was worried. Besides her nervous habits of ringing her hands and straightening her wild black hair, he could just tell. He could tell she was definitely not looking completely sane. Her eyes were sad, angry, worried, resentful, loving, kind, motherly, bossy… So many different things at once.

"I'll be okay mum. Don't worry. Even if I don't come back-" she let out a sob "- you'll remember me. People can just remember me, and I'll be okay."

Ms. Tsarev hugged Russell, as did Belle, and they both walked out. Belle had been silently weeping the whole time, and she couldn't bear to speak with Russell again.

Russell sat gloomily for a few more minutes. He didn't really expect any more visitors, but what isn't surprising about the Games? His two best friends came into his room at the Justice building for a last goodbye.

"Congratulations man. I'm… happy for you." Russell gave a half-hearted smile to his friend. Dash didn't really know what to say. It was usually a huge excitement when you became a tribute in the Games. It was in 2 at least. But despite the honor, Russell didn't seem excited at all. In fact he seemed sad to go.

"Hey," Mollie told him. "You'll do fine. You'll do more than fine. You're Russell. You've been pretty prepared for this… If it were to happen." Mollie looked like she was going to vomit, burst into tears, or faint. Russell nodded. One of the Peacekeepers knocked on the door and walked in.

"Time to go kids," she said. Dash patted Russell on the back, and drifted out. Mollie gave a quick "good luck!" and hugged Russell.

"Thanks Mollie. Remember me."


	3. District 3 Reapings

District 3 Reapings

Eliza walked slowly to the center square of 3, side by side with her best friend and brother, Raster. She was worried about who would be Reaped on the occasion, but didn't dare show it. She wanted to look excited like a lot of the other kids, but she just couldn't.

"What are you thinking? Don't want to be Reaped? Don't like the Games?" Raster questioned, trying to read his sister's expression. She ran a hand through her shaggy, light brown hair, and moved the fringe of bangs out of her eyes as best as she could.

Raster knew her so well. About as well as she knew him. Eliza shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah, I don't want you to have to go to the Games. But there aren't many slips in this year. The probability of being picked is…Well, actually we don't know how many people have tessarae. Do you?" Eliza trailed off, trying to calculate the probability of having to play. Raster rolled his eyes, but he was trying to remember too.

"C'mon kids. You were supposed to be in line ten minutes ago! Look! They're already getting ready to choose!" their nineteen-year-old sister, Flow, was whining at the two. They both let out simultaneous, exasperated sighs, and ran to the roped off section for 12-year-olds.

"Ugh. She's so…" Raster started.

"Annoying? Bossy? Daddy's girl?" Eliza finished his sentence.

"Yeah. That." When they pushed through their peers to get in the line, they were both stared at. They turned to the center square to watch the picking of the next tribute. That's when Eliza realized that not only were her classmates staring at them, but the rest of the District as well. Her heart rate multiplied by a few hundred, becoming heavy with dread. Had Raster been picked?

"Eliza. Go. It's your turn to play. Make your move." A boy from her class said in the same manner as if they were playing a board game. Eliza went numb. Raster went numb. Eliza was nudged from behind by the same kid, and started floating to where a microphone and a hand shake were waiting for her.

She shook her new escort's hand, and blinked blankly. She looked nowhere but at Raster. Not at Flow, not at her parents. Only at his wide, tearful, coffee-colored eyes that mirrored her own.

"And for the male competitor from 3…" the escort was saying. "…Aaron Holmes!" Eliza took her eyes off her brother and stuck her hands in the pocket of her baggy, pullover sweatshirt. Aaron, her classmate who pushed and mocked her only seconds ago, was standing stalk still, glaring at Eliza.

Aaron purposely stalked up next to the podium, a determined look in his dark eyes. Aaron was tall. He towered over their escort. Provided, the escort wasn't a very tall man. But Aaron still was tall and lanky. He was super skinny, and his dark hair was buzzed off.

Aaron sneered at Eliza, his ugly overbite plain for all of 1 to see. The irony of the Reaping embarrassed him more that wanted to show.

Aaron shook hands with their escort and mentor, and everyone was dismissed from the Reaping.

After the Reapings- Eliza

Eliza and Raster sat alone in the little Juctice Building room.

"So…" Eliza said, wondering what could really sum up the situation.

"You're leaving…" Raster continued.

"And never coming back."

"Hey! Don't think like that! That kind of thinking could ruin you! You definitely won't be back if that's the only thing on your mind." Eliza shrugged. There wasn't anything she could do about it. "We both know that you have the brains in you to win. You don't even have to kill! You're a super smart braniac!" Eliza shot him a look. THE look. "Not that I'm not one too…" he finished.

A loud echoing buzz sounded, making both of the children jump, and Mr. and Mrs. Fortune walked into the room.

"Hey Eliza. Very sorry about this. You'll do great in the arena…" her father trailed off, his eyes looking as if he was pondering something.

"We'll miss you. Flow says goodbye." Mrs. Fortune also looked rather thoughtful as she spoke.

Of course Flow wasn't there. She had better things to do than say goodbye to her only sister, who she would never get to see again. Eliza filled with rage, as did Raster. She couldn't believe her sister would do that to her. Although it was typical of her to ask their parents to go on her errands. But this was huge.

"Bet you're just glad it wasn't Flow," Raster muttered under his breath. He couldn't believe Flow, or his parents, who had always favored their oldest child.

"What was that mister?" Mrs. Fortune said in a tone clearly showing she knew exactly what.

"You are just glad that Flow was never picked."

Eliza was surprised Raster had said that. She had been thinking the same, but to say that almost directly to their parents' faces… That was brave.

They didn't even deny it. Her mother and father ignored Raster's snarky remark, and went on telling Eliza how sorry they were, and that everything would eventually be alright. And then finally the last goodbye.

Raster hugged Eliza hard, tears welling in his eyes. He said, "Goodbye Eliza. I love you."

After the Reapings- Aaron 

Ana skipped in, excited that she would get to see her big brother on their high-tech television screen.

"Congratulations Aaron! I can't wait till you get to the Capitol, and they start filming!" Aaron smiled. Ana was just a year younger, but he always thought of her as a little kid. She was wearing a cute, yellow dress too, which made her look even younger than he viewed her.

"Thanks Ana. I can't wait either." After he had thought about it, it didn't seem like such a bad thing that he had been Reaped. He definitely had the skills to beat the other tribute and become Victor, even if he was lacking looks.

"Make us proud, kid!" his father said, knocking him on the shoulder playfully. He had always dreamed of Aaron volunteering for the Games. He had doubted that he would ever get the chance though, with so many eager, ambitious teens in District 3. But now that he had been chosen, he wouldn't have to volunteer at all.

"I'll try, Dad."

"Aaron! You'll do better than try! You can't win if you only _try." _His mother was smiling, proud that her son was taking the news well. He wasn't getting angry or irked at all. Except for when he was first called up. But that was over, and he seemed fine.

Aaron had been annoyed that he was chosen along with Eliza. He had just told her to make her move. He wasn't trying to be mean or anything. He was waiting for the rest of the Reaping! But when he was called, he figured it was just bad karma. Except he didn't believe in karma, so it must've been fate.

"Bye Aaron!" Ana called, after his parents discussed good tactics for him to use to win. "See you later, kid!" Aaron chuckled at Ana as they left. She called him "kid," imitating what her parents always did. Just another thing that made her seem so young and naïve.


	4. District 4 Reapings

District 4 Reapings

Jace hurriedly climbed up onto the beach. He'd completely forgotten about the Reaping. He should've been getting ready, not taking a pleasure swim. He grabbed his towel and threw it around himself, trying to dry off as best he could.

Jace sprinted down the sandy streets to get back home, squinting his bluish greenish eyes against the sun, laughing, and racing his sister to their house. Brooke, his sister who had been watching him, ran beside him, hoping she'd have enough time to change out of her swimsuit.

There weren't too many fishing boats out on the ocean, as this was a very special occasion. There weren't even many people outside. Most were getting ready for the Reaping, as Jace and Brooke should've been.

When they reached their little beach house, Jace threw on a t-shirt and some shorts that he'd been wearing earlier in the day. Oh no. They were still wet from fishing with his older brothers. Jace mumbled something that sounded like, "Oh who cares. It's better than swimming trunks." He stepped into his sandals, and took off down the road again, followed by Brooke once more.

He hopped over the ropes for the twelve-year-olds, and stood with his school friends, trying to fix his mop of sopping bleach-blond hair. Brooke went off to join the rest of his family, and waited for the Reapings to start.

Seconds after the Rivieras arrived, the escort for the soon-to-be tributes from 4 walked out to the middle of the square. He was an older man, looking to be in his sixties, judging by the wrinkles and marks on his face. But his hair couldn't give anything away. It was a dark, artificial obsidian black color, and looked like it had been straightened perfectly, no doubt by his personal stylist he was bound to have.

"Good afternoon, people of District 4," he said, first addressing the crowd. "And good afternoon people from all of Panem!" he greeted again, but this time addressing the video camera. "And now. Which one of our little ladies will be Reaped? Which will be given the honor of playing the Games and becoming famous all over Panem?"

The man slowly and dramatically reached his hand into the girls' bowl, and snatched one of the many bluish slips. He scanned the crowed for suspense, and purposely unfolded the paper. The man gasped a bit upon reading the name, causing others in the crowd to gasp too. He was only milking it though.

"Alexis Hale! Congratulations!" he cried. The tallish brunette girl in a flowy, white summer dress quickly walked to the town center, careful not to knock anyone over or step on any feet. "Are you excited to get to the Capitol?" He held the microphone for Alexis.

"Yeah! I'm so excited to be sent to a death arena! I'm so excited to be killed along with twenty-two other kids my age! Yeah I'm so excited!" She was completely mocking the Capitol, but her escort didn't notice at all.

"I like your enthusiasm! Now for our next tribute…" Again, he reached into a glass ball, and retrieved a scrap of paper, containing a name of a twelve-year-old who most likely wouldn't want to compete.

"Jace Riviera! Come on up Jace!" The smallish boy with strong, broad shoulders walked to where Alexis was standing, and shook hands with the people waiting for him.

Jace searched the crowd for his family of five, excluding himself. There they were- his parents, Brooke, and his two brothers, Sandy and Douglas. They showed close to no emotion, just as he was trying not to. He didn't want to show his weakness. He didn't want to leave home. He didn't want to play the "Game."

"And now, my friends," the man with dark black hair said. "The our Reapings come to a close! Congratulations to young Alexis and Jace! And my the odds be _ever_ in your favor!"

Jace and Alexis exchanged nervous glances as they were escorted to the Justice Building of 4.

After the Reapings- Alexis

Alexis fidgeted with her long, straight hair. It was a darkish brown color, but had natural highlights from the ever-shining sun in 4. She was getting restless. Almost the whole hour had gone by, and nobody had come to visit her. She had expected at least her parents to stop by. If not her older brother.

Her parents walked in, almost on cue, and both hugged her goodbye. Alexis was extremely disappointed that she'd been chosen, not because she didn't want to leave 4, but because she didn't want to have to kill.

Ray, Alexis' brother, stopped by about five minutes before the hour.

"Hey there." He sat down beside her, and said nothing else until he was forced to leave.

"Bye Alexis."

Alexis wasn't sure if she should be angry or sad or glad that not many people came to see her. She wasn't surprised that nobody from school came. Alexis hated school. She wasn't popular at all. Actually, the one reason most kids looked forward to school was because they had friends. She didn't even have friends to make school a little faster and a little better.

Ray didn't have many friends either. And she didn't think it was because he wasn't nice. She thought, for both of them, that the reason they hadn't any friends was that they didn't really get involved in any outside activities, and their house was isolated a bit from everyone else's.

If it had been closer to the center of town, with a few neighbors maybe, both children would've been known better when they started going to school, and maybe someone would accept them into their friend group.

And maybe if they had been participating in junior fishing, swimming, or some other sport, they both would've had acquaintances, at least, before they went to school.

But Alexis and Ray both sat awkwardly in their classrooms, and at lunch, and at recess. They were both active outside of school, but they never participated in organized teams or classes.

That was probably, Alexis thought sadly, the reason nobody else came to say goodbye.

After the Reapings- Jace

Sobbing, and he wasn't sure if they were tears of sadness or joy, Jace's mother flung her arms around him in a tight hug. She didn't let go, and it was almost as if she were choking him. Jace gently tried to pry her arms off of him, but had to resort to forcefully pulling them off.

"Hey mom, can you get off of me now?" he whispered. This only made her hold him tighter.

"My little baby's going to war for his country!" she wailed, as if she were as proud as she'd ever been. Jace raised an eyebrow and tried to make sense of what she'd just said. Yes, he supposed she was right. He was going to war for his country. But he wasn't doing it because he wanted to.

Jace was being forced into a synthetic war with other children, for the entertainment of the richer part of his country. This was for the Capitol's enjoyment. Not something that should be noble, especially considering that he hadn't volunteered, he'd been chosen.

"Okay mom." She unwrapped her arms from him, and hugged his brother Douglas instead.

Jace exchanged glances with the rest of his family.

"Why is she like this?" he asked, scared for his mother's mental and emotional state.

"She's just trying to comfort herself. She's trying to make up another plausible excuse for why you'd be leaving." His father looked sadly from Mrs. Riviera to Jace.

"I'm going to miss you Jacy," Brooke said. She hugged him, but not with as much force as her mother had. That was good, because it gave Jace the ability to breathe the salty air of 4.

"Bye man," Sandy said, tears in his eyes. "You'll be missed."

Sandy wasn't really one for words, but he thought he should say something. Jace had always been so nice and kid- the innocent one. He was always so polite to everyone, even his older brothers. Jace seemed so young and naïve in the eye of his older brother.

"Bye," Jace said to his whole family.

"Have fun in the Capitol!" his mother cried, before being pulled out of the room by Douglass.


	5. District 5 Reapings

District 5 Reapings

Rachel Gienow held her older brother's hand like she had to all her life, as they walked together to the Reapings. She was nine years old, and Jaymz was twelve.

"Can you walk a little faster Jaymz? The Reapings are almost starting." They sped up, making their way to the roped off section for the twelve-year-olds.

When Rachel got to the ropes, she led Jaymz through the entrance, and skipped back off toward her parents, red braids, the same color as Jaymz' hair, flying out behind her.

Pepper Checkslate caught sight of her friend, and walked over to him, followed by Jeezlan and Taluala.

"Hiya Jaymz!" Jeezlan said cheerily. Jaymz grinned a perfect smile and turned toward the other girls.

"Hey guys. You scared for today?" he asked.

"Scared of what?" Taluala said with edge. "What is there to be scared of?" Taluala felt like she was perfectly capable of winning the Games, were she chosen, but she wouldn't even think about volunteering.

"Course _you_ wouldn't be scared," Pepper joked, rolling her deep brown eyes.

"I wouldn't be talking, miss tall and mighty!" Jaymz laughed, resting his arm on Pepper's head. She was by far the shortest girl in the sixth grade, standing at little more than four feet.

"Don't mock me! It's not very nice you know. Bullying was outlawed in District 11." Pepper knew they were joking, and she wasn't really getting worked up, but it did aggravate her when her friends were constantly making fun of her height. She had things to hold against hem too, but she didn't use them.

"Guys is it starting yet?" Jaymz asked impatiently after a couple more minutes. "Rachel said we were running late."

"Yeah the ugly lady is setting up the pedestals right now, be patient mister," Taluala answered, peering at the stage that had been set up in the middle of the town.

"Yeah it's starting Jaymz," Pepper said.

"Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared I'm scared!" Jeezan whispered, freaking out. "What if I'm chosen? What'll I do? Oh my goodness. I'm scared!"

"Calm down Jeez. You'll be fine," Pepper told her friend.

"Shh! Guys I can't hear!" Jaymz said, getting annoyed because he couldn't tell what was going on.

"Now, let's see who it will be!" the lady was saying as she pulled a folded scrap of paper out of the bowl of many folded scraps of paper. "Pepper Checkslate!"

Pepper froze and her feline ears, from an experiment gone wrong, went flat against her head. She worriedly exchanges looks with her best friends. Taluala, Jeezlan, and Jaymz all looked stony-faced. They couldn't have their friend die in some game of death. It just couldn't be happening.

Pepper flipped her long, black pigtails back behind her and walked up to the podium where her escort waited for her with an eyebrow raised.

"How old are you sweety?" the chubby-ish woman asked. Ivy-like tattoos covered her face so that her expression was barely readable.

"I'm twelve," Pepper huffed, annoyed that the lady thought she was younger. She didn't look any younger than twelve, she was just short!

After giving Pepper a long skeptical look, the lady stuffed a pudgy hand into the bowl opposite the one she'd just chosen from. Upon unfolding the new slip, she read it and dropped it onto the ground, like she'd done with Pepper's slip.

"Jaymz Gienow?" Pepper let out an anguished cry, along with many other people in the crowded common. The escort just looked at Pepper, then searched the crowd. Pepper jumped up from her chair and briskly walked over to where Jaymz stood, tears running down her face.

Pepper gingerly took him by the wrist and led him up to the podium where she'd just been sitting. Everyone was staring as Pepper helped him to their destination. Jaymz' eyes started tearing up behind the dark glasses he wore to protect them.

"You, um, okay there?" the escort asked. She wasn't sure what was going on with Jaymz and Pepper. Were they… together or something?

"No. It's not okay. We don't want any part in your Games," Jaymz said into the microphone.

"Do you have a problem?" she asked again, obviously wondering why Pepper had to go and him.

"Well besides the being Reaped part, I guess I do have a problem, yeah. _I'm blind_." Some people from the crowd gasped, but most had already known this. Jaymz was well known inside and outside of school. The escort's clear blue eyes widened, and she grimaced a bit.

After the Reapings- Pepper and Jaymz 

Pepper, Jaymz, Taluala, and Jeezlan sat in a huddled circle on the floor. This was the last time they'd ever be all together. Jaymz had asked their escort and mentor if they could be put in the same room in the Justice Building. They had been allowed to, not just because they were friends, but because of Jaymz' obvious blindness.

He'd been born that way, and had been labeled handicapped his whole life. But despite his problem, he managed to become super popular. He mostly hung with his three best friends who had been the first to accept him in their first year in school, but he was quite friendly with most of the kids in their grade at school.

Jeezlan was bawling, so sad that two of her best friends had been picked. She couldn't trust her voice to say anything at all, so he remained silent-something that rarely occurred.

Jaymz had taken off his sunglasses to reveal his green-gray eyes, streaming with tears. The glasses were originally black, but had been decorated, courtesy of Pepper and Jeezlan, with colorful scraps of construction paper. He didn't really care that they'd make him look stupid. In fact, he thought it was all just great fun, looking stupid for school. Not that he _could_ care about appearances.

Taluala was the only one of the group who wasn't crying. That was mostly because she was supposed to be the strong on, the leader. She felt exactly the same as the others though. Angry, depressed, scared. But she just remained stiff.

"I'll miss you guys a lot."

"Me too."

"I'll miss _us. Together._" Pepper's comment just set them all off, and they continued crying harder than before.

Eventually, Taluala and Jeezlan were replaced by Pepper's and Jaymz' families. Jaymz was surrounded by his sister, mother and father. They all took turns hugging him goodbye.

It was the same with Pepper. Her mother and father came to say goodbye. At one point, her mother gave Pepper a pair of light pink ribbons for her to tie her heir up with.

"For the Games. You know," was all she said.

The two families were hugging each other, as they had always been good friends. Everyone felt the worst for Jaymz. He shouldn't have to compete. He was _blind_. They were _twelve_. The Capitol was too unfair.


	6. District 6 Reapings

**Sorry I haven't been updating every day. My dad shut off the network for my computer, because he thought it was distracting me from my homework. Little did he know that I had only used the internet for updating this story and checking my email. They both take less than five minutes to do. He didn't realize that I've actually been spending all my time typing. Thing is, I've only done Districts 6 and 7 in the week, because I've been busy trying to get ready for my trip to… wait for it… **

**THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER! That's where I am now, by the way. Well, I'm in my hotel, but still. I'm excited to go to the park tomorrow. And it's such a big difference… my town has a snow day today. They have more than a foot of snow, and I can see fricken palm trees outside my window. Not to brag, but I'm super excited. Yes, I am a Harry Potter nerd if you were wondering.**

**I'm going to stop typing now, so you have a prayer of reading the story.**

District 6 Reapings

Svetlana, Beyer got ready for her first Reaping. Possibly her last. She put on her nicest outfit which happened to be an actually pretty dress. The only one she owned. It was her mother's from a few years back, but her mum wouldn't use it anymore. Her mum barely got dressed at all.

Humming to herself, Svetlana pulled on the black ruffled dress, and slipped into her plain black flats. The dress was a little big for her, but it was better than her usual clothes from a few years ago that were too small for her.

She put on a small sweater, and left the house, not caring if her mother came to the Reaping or not. She walked along the poorly judged streets that got wider and much narrower all the way down. Eventually the cruddy roads blended into newly paved roads that lead to the center of town.

Svetlana groaned when she realized she was early. That meant more wait time. Great. She walked to the roped-off section for the other kids her age. There were only a few others there. Nobody was excited. Thone and Oli stood together, whispering quietly as Svetlana leaned against the post that held the ropes.

The two boys were scared that they'd be the one to go into the arena. Nobody wanted to die. And entering the Hunger Games, death would be inevitable. With twenty three other tributes, the odds of surviving aren't good.

Svetlana quietly listened to their conversation. She felt the same way about going into the Games as Thone and Oli did. She didn't feel like she would have too much of a chance, but more so than either of the two boys. They both had skinny little arms and skinny little legs. She'd never seen them around running or doing anything active at all. At least she was active and physically fit.

When more children arrived, Svetlana discovered that the three of them weren't the only ones who felt the same way. Almost every conversation around her was about the Games, and being Reaped. Listening was only making her more nervous, so she turned her attention to the people walking in.

She was looking for her mother, seeing if she would be there to support Svetlana in case she was Reaped. Many people walked in sober, but quite a few were having trouble following everybody else in line. Many people were drunk and falling asleep standing up, and many were just oblivious as to what was going on, and were unknowingly following everyone else.

Those people were the Morphlings. Morphling was a relatively new drug that had come out a few years earlier. It was used to make life easier on the brain. Morphling dulled everything that was happening around a person, and after awhile of being on the drug, the person may end up slowly going insane.

That had happened to too many people in District 6. Younger people, teens, had even started using it to relieve stress, but had only made them seem morally bad to those who didn't use it.

Svetlana watched as person after person lumbered into the common area, wishing she were somewhere else. Maybe even outside her home where the crooks hung out, often waiting to mug someone who came by.

Finally, she spotted her mum. The woman she had to take care of instead of vice-versa. Her head hung so that her chin was touching her chest. She held her head with both of her olive hands. Another hangover.

Svetlana didn't understand why she couldn't just stop it with the alcohol. It was ruining both her own and her mother's lives. Whenever Svetlana tried to talk to her mum about it, she just lashed out at her and yelled about how unappreciative Svetlana was. But that wasn't nearly true. The girl had learned to take nothing for granted when her dad had become alcoholic and had left the house.

So, in short, she'd had a tough life and had no need for it to be tougher by being picked for the Games.

"…will be picking the female tribute," Svetlana heard through her thoughts and whipped her head around toward the microphoned escort with the tattooed face. He was reaching into the enormous glass ball labled, "girls."

"Thone Ristake?" he said in a huge booming voice that echoed around the forum. She let out a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. There were a few snickers to the left of Svetlana, and she turned to look at Thone. Why was his name put into the girl's bowl? She didn't disagree that his appearance was a bit girly. His blond hair was longer than her own which was hard to get. Thone also had very long blond eyelashes framing his gray-blue eyes. He was also the class geek, so it wasn't unlikely that some of the others had put one of his slips into the other bowl as a joke.

His nervous eyes went wide when he heard his name, and he stumbled out to the middle of the square. The muscular escort squinted at Thone and said, "You're no lady. Is your name Thone Ristake?" Thone nodded. "Well folks, looks like there's been a mistake! Don't worry; we'll have our girl tribute momentarily."

Once again, he reached into the female tribute bowl and pulled out another plain white paper. "Svetlana Beyer." Svetlana let out a dismayed sigh and fearlessly walked to the stage. She had known not to hope, but she didn't actually expect to be chosen. But she had to be, or at least look, brave about the situation.

She fixed her long, slightly wavy raven black hair and stood beside Thone, exchanging glances. Their escort placed a giant, meaty hand on each of their heads, and said, "And we have our two tributes! A round of applause for Miss Svetlana Beyer and Mr. Thone Ristake!" There was a bit of clapping and whooping, but it mostly came from the drunks and Morphlings.

After the Reapings- Svetlana

Her mother didn't come. Of course she didn't. Her only family had decided to ditch Svetlana for a final time. Not even classmates she was sort of friendly with had come to see her off. Svetlana's usually optimistic personality had turned a few degrees colder.

Instead of thinking of the good in life as she usually did, she spent the time she had in the small room thinking about how rotten her life was.

She had a father who'd ditched her for crime and beer, only after he beat her for two years. She had a mother who was rarely sober enough to speak a full sentence correctly. To add to that, her mother hated her, and didn't appreciate anything Svetlana did for her, which was a lot.

She had no friends at school, because most of the children were afraid of her parents. They also stereotyped everyone who lived in the part of town that Svetlana lived in as disgusting street rats.

She lived in the poor part of 6. The part where thugs hid around corners, waiting to mug you, day and night. The part of 6 where the roads are bad. The part where everyone is poor and often go hungry.

And, she _was_ poor. She had a job cleaning the streets at age twelve, just so that she and her mother could have a few extra coins. And those coins usually went towards more wine and beer. She rarely had a decent outfit for school. The clothes she had were from years ago and torn in many places.

Svetlana's life was hard. And it wasn't her fault. She was a great kid, but she wasn't treated that way. Life isn't fair. But is it ever fair?

She kneeled on the floor for the rest of the hour, not caring for her mother's pretty black dress. For the first time in her life, Svetlana let herself feel self-pity. And she had reason to.

After the Reapings- Thone

Thone's parents silently wept on either side of him. He felt bad that they had to see him leave. He was afraid for what was to come when it was time for the Games.

He tried to boost his spirits by thinking positive. Mind over matter, right? Well, Thone thought, he was quite good in school, and very intelligent. That meant he could possibly outsmart everyone else and win that way. That's what Stanley Kortora did to win the Games a few years back. Then Thone could see his family again when he won.

Thone fiddled with his collar on his white polo shirt as he thought. He was quite sad that he'd have to die. Not much of a chance, even with his brains. He wasn't too hopeful about sponsors. Thone admitted he was not one for words. Actually, he was very socially awkward, and didn't have too many friends. Well there was Oli…

Shortly after Thone's parents finally left with many wistful goodbyes, Oli walked into Thone's room. He was tall, with dark skin and short black hair that made him look nearly bald. Oli was a complete opposite of Thone, and that could've been why they were best friends.

Not only were their appearances so different, but the two boys personalities were like the north and south on a magnet. Maybe that's why they were friends. Opposites attract, right? That's what Thone thought.

Oli was one of the more popular guys at school, as he was friends with almost everybody. That was all good, because in the end, Oli kind of protected Thone from the bullies that like to pick of geeks.

When Oli came into the room, Thone just looked up and smiled.

"You can do it man. I know you can." After his small encouragement, the two boys sat together in the Justice Building for their last time before the Capitol people dragged them both in opposite directions.


	7. District 7 Reapings

**This chapter's kind of long… Especially Jasmine's part. The person who made her character worked in a side plot, and I had to put it all (or most of it) in, you know? Do as much as you can with a character, then discard it. Just kidding, although twenty three characters will be discarded for this… **

District 7 Reapings

In the center of District 7, a stage had been set up for the 25th Reaping, and the first Quarter Quell. There were many adults putting it together with huge, rough, wooden boards. A couple Capitol residents were standing around and watching, and a few were helping. Two wooden pedestals were also set up with a large glass bowl on top of each.

The kids of the District were also lining up and preparing for the Reaping. There were few pieces of paper in the Reaping Bowls this year, due to the fact that it was the Quarter Quell, and only children at age twelve could enter.

While some people were setting up, still other Capitol people were holding cameras and panning the crowd. One lady with abnormally tanned, abnormally long, and abnormally skinny legs zoomed her camera in on a boy—Jason.

Jason was still getting used to fame, and hadn't yet adjusted to the constant recording of cameras. Jason was thirteen. This day, the day of the Reaping was an anniversary of sorts for him. Exactly a year in the past, Jason's name was called at the Reaping of District 7. Jason had survived the Hunger Games at only age twelve. He was only a month older than eleven when he was Reaped. He was the youngest Victor.

Through the lens of the camera, the woman with abnormally tanned, abnormally long, and abnormally skinny legs could see Jason sitting on the part of the finished stage. He spoke to another guy who seemed to be somewhere in his twenties.

With the acute microphone of the video camera, the strange Capitol lady could hear that they were having a conversation about having to be Mentors.

"We have a better chance of winning this year then," Billius, the older one, said in a tone that goes with the saying "the glass is always half full."

"Well, I only won the Games because I survived. How do you expect the next tributes to learn from what I did? I can't teach whatever it was…" Jason trailed off, his deep blue eyes fixing on a girl who was lining up in the crowd.

In the time that neither of the two Victors was speaking, the woman with abnormally tanned, abnormally long, and abnormally skinny legs fixed her camera on the girl Jason was trying to make eye contact with. The girl was lining up with the other twelve-year-olds, speaking worriedly with one of her friends.

The lady panned back up to Jason, just in time to see him smile an encouraging smile at the girl. When she zoomed back, she could see the girl making an attempt to smile, but only managing a grimace. They held eye contact for a few seconds more, then Jason went back to talking to Billius.

When everything was finally set up, another Capitol lady who greatly resembled the woman with abnormally tanned, abnormally long, and abnormally skinny legs took her place between the two pedestals on the stage. Although her facial feature were similar to the other lady, this one had normally tanned, normally long, and normally skinny legs.

"Hello. Welcome to the Reapings," she droned with absolutely zero enthusiasm. "This is our twenty-fifth annual year, and you already know that we are celebrating with a new rule. Only children at the age of twelve years may enter the Games." There were angry outcries at this, and she responded by saying, "I'm sorry, you may not like the rules, but I cannot do anything about it."

She reached into one of the bowls, and pulled out a paper from the bottom. "Our male tribute will be Alexander Placentino, if there are no volunteers. There are no volunteers, right? Didn't think so." This Capitol resident was unusually bored, not to mention boring.

A short boy with longish dirty blond hair was shakily walking to the stage, his hazel eyes, covered with a fringe of bangs, started turning reddish. He had a stocky build, and was slightly muscular. He stood in front of the male Tribute's bowl, his round face ashen with fear and horror.

"Okay. Moving on." The lady with normally tanned, normally long, and normally skinny legs went to pick another slip from the opposite glass ball. She opened it quickly, to get it over with.

"Jasmine Moonstar." She said, her tone becoming even drabber than before.

"No. No!" Jason's voice started as a whisper, but got louder. All the color drained from his usually-cheerful face, until he was the color of a porcelain doll. He leaped from his chair next to Billius, and took the microphone from the lady with normally tanned, normally long, and normally skinny legs.

"No. There's a mistake. Jasmine can't enter the Games. Please. Please, don't let her." She was his best friend. She was the one who held him together right before he was shipped off to the Capitol on the way to the Hunger Games. She was his best friend.

Snatching the microphone back, the Capitol lady spoke to Jason. "What? I'm sorry Mr. Brullette, but the rules are the rules. I'm afraid Jasmine will have to compete." Jasmine had made her way up to the stage now. Her amber eyes were looking only at Jason. Her best friend.

It was the girl who had been trying to communicate with Jason earlier. She climbed up the stairs onto the stage, almost tripping on her long, white, cotton dress.

She already had tears streaming down her heart-shaped face. When she got onto the stage, Jason pulled her into a hug, and Jasmine buried her face in his neck, where his collarbone had just been fixed up from his encounters in the Games. Everyone was staring at the two, but neither seemed to care. Jason wanted anything but to let Jasmine play the Capitol's sick game.

Alexander didn't even seem to register anything else that was going on. The lady with normally tanned, normally long, and normally skinny legs just looked at them, blinking and looking bored as ever.

"Okay. Reapings adjourned. May the odds be ever in your favor." With that, she walked off the stage.

After the Games- Jasmine

Jasmine cried and cried and cried. She had just gotten her best friend back from the Games. And now, she had to go into the Games herself and leave him behind.

Her family came and went, everyone crying. Her over-protective mother kept trying to give her tips for in the Games.

"Make an alliance, and camp out the whole Games until the end, and then…" But Jasmine wasn't listening. She didn't want to hear it. She was just too upset. Not weak, just immensely upset.

Her parents left after hugs and goodbyes from her mother and father. Her sister came to visit with her fiancé, who happened to be the mayor's son.

Becca was the spitting image of Jasmine, only nineteen instead of twelve. They had short-ish caramel hair, and light amber eyes. Their skin was lightly tanned from being outside a lot, and they were both athletic. But however similar the two sisters looked, their inner selves couldn't have been more different.

Jasmine had always been more of the quiet observing one, mostly talking when she had a good point to bring up. But Becca was pretty loud and ambitious. She expected a lot from herself, and in turn, thought she was the more valued sister of the two.

"Bye Jas. I'll miss you a lot! I hope I can see you after the Games are over." Oh yeah, you'll see me, thought Jasmine. You'll see my corpse.

But she only nodded, and soon Becca and the mayor's son were gone, replaced again by two of Jasmine's friends, Cathleen and Qurrin. Cathleen had been poor for as long as Jasmine had known her… until Jason won the Games. Cathleen was his younger sister, a year younger than Jasmine. Usually Cathleen would hang out with them whenever Jason and Jasmine were together.

And Qurrin of course had been in all of Jasmine's classes in school since the first day. She hung out a lot with Jasmine and Jason too, when she had time. Qurrin was usually so busy with her sports that she didn't have much time for anything else.

"Hi Jasmine. I hope that I'll see you soon… In a few months." Cathleen had tears in her eyes, on her cheeks, and falling onto her fancy pink shirt. She sniffled between words, and her breath caught every few moments.

Qurrin was upset, but managed to keep calm enough, though she was usually the more emotional one.

"Yeah. We'll miss you. Jason told us to tell you that you'll see him on the train, but he isn't allowed in here now," Qurrin explained. Jasmine nodded, and cried even harder. Both of the girls hugged her a last goodbye, and left just before the Capitol people came to take Jasmine to the train, and to the Capitol, and to the crazily unfair government, and to the Games, and to her death.

After the Reapings- Alexander

Alexander sat with the whole Placentino family. That included his mother, his father, and his older sisters. All six of them. Molly, Winifred, Georgia, Muriel, Lucy, and Roxanne. All of the Placentinos had been given old-fashioned names, including his parents, Victoria and Ronald.

Alexander stood in the middle of a packed crowd of crying girls, all clones of each other without the age factor. All he could see was long ponytails of dirty blond hair, all around him. And his eyelashes, covered with tears.

The older girls all around him were wailing, devastated that their only younger brother had to go into the Games. So far, the enormous family had been lucky. Some people had wondered if their names had ever even been put into the bowl.

And now, the youngest of the Placentinos had been picked. Two of the sisters, Lucy and Roxanne, had gone the six years without being picked. Muriel had two years to go, Winifred had two years, and Georgia had one year. And now the youngest had been chosen.

Alexander just sat while everyone took turns hugging him. He couldn't even tell what was going on, it was all so crazy there. He would miss his family, and he was not at all excited about going to the Games.

After the hour, Alexander was surprised he hadn't cried. When he stood up in front of the whole district, he had really been worried that he'd seem weak and ruin his chances of getting sponsors if he cried. And he had definitely expected himself to.

And he didn't care if he cried in front of his family. So why didn't he? Maybe he was still shocked… Alexander didn't think that was it. He was devastated, but didn't cry. And some at school had even considered him a crybaby…

He was stronger, emotionally, than he thought he was. Alexander's worst flaw was that he didn't give himself enough credit. And he knew it too. But it wasn't something he could really just fix…

And so he spent his time in the Justice Building preparing to die, and wondering why he was not crying. Just doubting himself even further.


	8. District 8 Reapings

**Dear friends, I'm sorry I haven't updated recently. I've been trying to make this chapter a bit different from the others… I was running out of ideas, so suggestions are welcome. I have other excuses, but it's mostly because I've had a major case of writer's block. Also, my dad got into a bad car crash in February, and I've had to help shovel snow and do chores I haven't really had to do before, so I've been busy. And then I forgot about this until now. **

**So those are my excuses, and this is your story.**

District 8 Reapings

Lupe wasn't particularly nervous for the Reapings. Yes, there were many less slips in the bowl than last year. Actually, every other year for that matter. Because the only contesters were the children at the age of twelve, there were hundreds of slips, instead of the thousands there usually were.

But still, he had only one slip in the boy's bowl, as his family was in no need of tessarae. No, they were not rich, but they were middle class, and well fed. More so than the other half of the district anyway.

But he still had a chance of being reaped. When his friend Ailo asked him why he wasn't nervous, he wasn't sure how to respond. It's not like he didn't know what it was that could happen, but Lupe was good at desensitizing himself to block out his fear. It was much easier to cope that way, with the Capitol being a huge threat and all.

He sat in his kitchen, contemplating the Reapings while eating his sandwich for lunch. His hazel eyes were staring absently at a tiny mark on the wall in front of him. Loulan, Lupe's older sister walked into the kitchen and sat across from Lupe, causing him to look up at her and smile a bit.

"Hey, you nervous?" she asked, smiling back.

"Nah, not really. There are people who should be more nervous, and probably are."

"Oh, well I'm nervous for you. I obviously don't want your name to be drawn."

Lupe just shrugged. "Well, what will happen will happen. Right?" His sister nodded and pushed her darker hair out of her face.

"Yeah, you're right." Loulan glanced at a clock above their stove, and gasped. "We have to leave in five minutes, and look at you! You're still in your pajamas! All of Panem will see you, and you look like you've just gotten out of bed. Wow Lupe, you really should keep better track of time."

Lupe grinned, and finished the other half of his sandwich in one bite. He dashed up the stairs, trying to take his shirt off at the same time. When he got to his room, he dressed in a white button-down, plain black pants, and black dress shoes, all in about two minutes flat.

When he went back downstairs, Loulan was putting on her shoes and adjusting her green dress. Mr. and Mrs. Pelletier were standing by the door, waiting for their children so they could start walking down to the district square.

Lupe grabbed Loulan's hairbrush and combed through his tangled hair a few times, not that it would make a difference, seeing as his messy hair had never been tamed before.

"C'mon kids, we've gotta go." His mother raised her eyebrows at Lupe and motioned to the door. The family left the house, and in no time, Lupe was standing in a roped off section in front of the temporary stage.

The escort for District 8 who was to draw the names from the two bowls tapped the microphone a couple of times to make sure it worked. She clipped her maroon hair back away from her face. She was pretty, but had a very fake look about her. Maybe she had had plastic surgery one time too many.

"Good afternoon District 8!" she said in a showy voice. "Welcome to the 25th annual District 8 Reapings!" She moved the first bowl closer to her, and grabbed a slip of paper from the very bottom of the bowl.

The whole district had their eyes glued on the slip, dying to know which twelve-year-old would be the first to be called up.

"Jemari, Sia." A murmur went through the crowd of children in the roped section, but the rest of the crowd was silent. Sia, a small sweet-looking girl with short chocolate brown hair, bounced up to the podium where the escort was waiting.

She looked like the quintessence of childhood. Someone who seemed like all they wanted was to have fun. But Lupe and the other children in her grade knew better. Sia was a complete suck-up to the teachers and adults of the community. She acted all sweet whenever there was an adult around, but she was really the bossiest little girl in the district, and liked to think she was also the best.

Sia grinned an irresistible childish grin at the camera.

"Congratulations, Sia! Good luck in the Hunger Games!" the maroon-haired escort said.

Lupe watched as she reached for the next paper. He wasn't worried as much as his friends around him. Too bad it really was his name on that paper.

"Pelletier, Lupe?"

Lupe froze. No, he only had one slip of paper in there! He shrugged off his fear and walked to the podium, not thinking about what was to come. The easiest way to avoid fear was not to think. Not to think about why he was-

"Congratulations Lupe, on becoming the second tribute of District 8!"

Oh right. He was going to die. Now Lupe was scared.

…**And finish. Yeah, I know it's super short and I didn't add the last part, but I really didn't know how to write it. Sorry to anyone who's still reading this. Comments and suggestions are welcomed, not necessary. I hope the next chapter will be better… Not planning on it though. Sorry.**

***Edit: This is the last reaping that I'm writing. They're getting to repetitive and boring, sorry. I don't think anyone from FanFiction will still want to read it anyway. I will continue the story, but no more reapings.  
**


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